1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a material collecting/removal apparatus, and more particularly, to a portable waste or scrap collecting and removal apparatus for use in connection with a vacuum waste system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention has particular applicability to the collection and removal of waste or scrap materials in a paperboard carton manufacturing plant or in any other industry where generally light weight scrap or waste material is produced.
In a paperboard carton manufacturing plant, cartons for packaging and the like are die cut from a large sheet of paperboard or other carton material. Although attempts are made to minimize the amount of waste and scrap materials resulting from the die cut process, the generation of some waste or scrap is inevitable. In the past, this waste or scrap material was directed to a bin having a forwardly sloping floor which, during activation, would generally direct the scrap material toward a vacuum system connected to the forward end of the bin. These prior art bins are merely positioned below the die cutting machine to collect the waste or scrap material from the die cutting process. Then, periodically or whenever the bin was full, the vacuum system was activated. This removed much of the waste or scrap material which had been collected in the bin. However, despite the downward slope of the bin floor in these prior systems, clogging of the bin was quite common because of pieces of scrap or waste material getting hung up or wedged against a surface of the bin or against one another. This was particularly true with certain sizes, types and configurations of scrap material.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved waste and scrap collecting and removal apparatus which is adapted for use in connection with a waste vacuum system and which eliminates or substantially reduces the clogging of the waste and scrap material in the bin.